
7-8
Starting and operating
lights have gone out after the engine has
started. The fuel injection system auto-
matically lowers the idle speed as the
engine warms up.
While the engine is warming up, make
sure that the selector lever is at the“P”or
“N ”position and that the parking brake is
applied.
Stopping the engine
WARNING
Do not stop the engine when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause
loss of power to the power steering
and the brake booster, making steer-
ing and braking more difficult. It
could also result in accidental acti-
vation of the “LOCK ”position on the
ignition switch, causing the steering
wheel to lock.
The ignition switch should be turned off
only when the vehicle is stopped and the
engine is idling.
Remote engine start system
(dealer option)
WARNING
. Do not remote start a vehicle in
an enclosed environment (e.g.
closed garage). Prolonged opera-
tion of a motor vehicle in an
enclosed environment can cause
a harmful build-up of Carbon
Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide is
harmful to your health. Exposure
to high levels of Carbon Monox-
ide can cause headaches, dizzi-
ness or in extreme cases uncon-
sciousness and/or death.
. Before performing any servicing
of the vehicle, temporarily place
the remote engine start system in
service mode to prevent the
system from unexpectedly start-
ing the engine.
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7-22
Starting and operating
Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD) systemThe EBD system maximizes the effective-
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle’s
loading condition and speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the
ABS system and uses some of the ABS
system ’s components to perform its func-
tion of optimizing the distribution of brak-
ing force. If any of the ABS components
used by the EBD function fails, the EBD
system also stops working.
When the EBD system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction.
& Steps to take if EBD system
failsIf a malfunction occurs in the EBD system,
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light come on simultaneously.
The EBD system may be faulty if the
brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are
applied harder than usual and the vehi-
cle’s motion may therefore become some-
what harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe,
flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, apply the
parking brake, and then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both
warning lights go out, the EBD system
may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again
and stay illuminated after the engine has
been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the
“MIN
”mark, the EBD system may be
faulty. Drive carefully to the nearest
SUBARU dealer and have the system
inspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the
“MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
WARNING
. Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
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Parking your vehicle
WARNING
.Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, the tempera-
ture in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to
cause severe or possibly fatal
injuries to them.
. Do not park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
. Be sure to stop the engine if you
take a nap in the vehicle. If
engine exhaust gas enters the
passenger compartment, occu-
pants in the vehicle could die
from carbon monoxide (CO) con-
tained in the exhaust gas.
& Parking brake
CAUTION
. Never drive while the parking
brake is set because this will
cause unnecessary wear on the
brake linings. Before starting to
drive, always make sure that the
parking brake has been fully
released.
. Never drive with your foot on the
parking brake pedal.To set the parking brake, hold down the
brake pedal while pushing the parking
brake pedal as far as it will go.
To release the parking brake, hold down
the brake pedal while pushing the parking
brake pedal and slowly releasing it.
When the parking brake is set while the
engine is running, the parking brake
warning light comes on. After starting the
vehicle, be sure that the warning light has
gone out before the vehicle is driven.
Refer to the “Warning and indicator lights ”
section in chapter 3.& Parking tipsWhen parking your vehicle, always set the
parking brake firmly and put the selector
lever in the “P”(Park) position. Always set
the parking brake firmly when parking your
vehicle. Never rely on the transmission
alone to hold the vehicle.
Starting and operating
7-29
– CONTINUED –
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3. Insert the safety pin into the hitch pin
securely.
4. Pull the ball mount to make sure it
does not come off the hitch receiver.1) Hitch ball installation point
2) Hooks for safety chains
5. Use only a hitch ball that is appropriate
for the ball mount and your trailer. The
hitch ball must be securely installed on the
ball mount.
6. Connect your trailer to the hitch ball.
7. Connect the trailer and the hitch with
safety chains that will hold the trailer’s
maximum gross weight. The chains
should cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping onto the
ground in case it should disconnect from
the hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the
chains taking tight-turn situations into
account; however, be careful not to let
them drag on the ground.
WARNING
Do not connect safety chains to part
of the vehicle other than the safety
chain hooks.Hitch harness connector8. Connect the hitch wire harness ’s black
four-pin wire connector to the towing
trailer ’s wire harness.
9. Confirm proper function of the hitch
wire harness by individually activating the
brake, right turn signal, left turn signal,
stop, and parking lights on the trailer.NOTEAlways disconnect the trailer wire har-
ness before launching or retrieving a
Driving tips
8-19
– CONTINUED –
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create a traffic safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing
vehicle and trailer with trailer safety
chains. Pass the chains crossing each
other under the trailer tongue to prevent
the trailer from dropping onto the ground
in case the trailer tongue should discon-
nect from the hitch ball. Allow sufficient
slack in the chains taking tight-turn situa-
tions into account; however, be careful not
to let them drag on the ground.
For more information about the safety
chain connection, refer to the instructions
for your hitch and trailer.
!Side mirrorsAfter hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
check that the standard side mirrors
provide a good rearward field of view without significant blind spots. If significant
blind spots occur with the vehicle’
s stan-
dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors that
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations.
! Trailer lights
CAUTION
Direct splicing or other improper
connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’ s electrical
system and cause a malfunction of
your vehicle ’s lighting system.
Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-
cle ’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle ’s lighting circuit to
increase its capacity and accommodate
wiring changes. To ensure the trailer lights
are connected properly, please consult
your SUBARU dealer. Check for proper
operation of the turn signals, the brake
lights and parking lights each time you
hitch up.
! Tires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the tem-
porary spare tire is used. The tem-
porary spare tire is not designed to sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing
can result in failure of the spare tire
and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated.
The recommended cold tire pressure
under trailer towing conditions is shown
in chapter 12, “Specifications ”and in
“ GAS STATION REFERENCE ”at the
end of this manual. Adjust the rear tire
pressure to the recommended pressure
when the tires are cold. Normal pressure
should be maintained in the front tires.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in
accordance with the trailer manufacturer ’s
specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire
when towing a trailer, ask a commercial
road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your
vehicle or trailer as a precaution against
getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare
tire is firmly secured.
Driving tips
8-25
– CONTINUED –
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.Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn.
. If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by the nearest SUBARU
dealer.
! Driving on grades
. Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’ s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts.
. When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating.
. When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature gauge
pointer and AT OIL TEMP warning light
since the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating under
these conditions. If the water temperature
gauge pointer approaches the OVER-
HEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning
light illuminates, immediately switch off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle at the
nearest safe place. Refer to the
“Engine
overheating ”section in chapter 9, and
“Warning and indicator lights ”section in
chapter 3.
NOTEThe temperature of engine coolant is
less likely to rise to the OVERHEAT
zone in the “D ” position than in the
manual mode position.
. Avoid using the accelerator pedal to
stay stationary on an uphill slope instead
of using the parking brake or foot brake.
That may cause the transmission fluid to
overheat.
! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake firmly. You should not
park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you
should take the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into
“P”and shut off the engine.
Driving tips
8-27
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11-42
Maintenance and service
Wattage Bulb No.
1) High beam headlight 12V-65W HB3
2) Low beam headlight
Vehicle with HID light 12V-35W D1S
Vehicle without HID light 12V-55W H7
3) Front turn signal/Parking light 12V-28/8W 2357NA
4) Parking/Front side marker light 12V-5W 168(W5W)
5) Map light 12V-8W –
6) Dome light
Vehicles with Rear Seat Entertainment 12V-5W–
Vehicles without Rear Seat Entertainment 12V-8W–
7) Door step light 12V-3W –
8) Vanity mirror light 12V-3W
9) Fog light 12V-55W H3
10) Cargo area light 12V-13W 912
11 ) Tail light 12V-5W 168
12) Brake/tail light 12V-27/8W 1157(W27/8W)
13) Rear turn signal light 12V-27W 1156(W27W)
14) Back-up light 12V-16W 921
15) Rear gate light 12V-5W (W5W)
16) License plate light 12V-5W 168(W5W)
CAUTION
Replace any bulb only with a new
bulb of the specified wattage. Using
a bulb of different wattage could
result in a fire.&
Headlights (Vehicles with HID
headlights)
WARNING
High-intensity-discharge (HID) bulbs
are used for the low beams of the
headlights. These HID bulbs use an
extremely high voltage. To avoid the
risk of an electric shock and result-
ing serious injury, you should not
attempt to replace them. Neither
should you attempt to replace the
high-beam bulbs, remove/refit the
headlight assemblies, or remove
any headlight-assembly compo-
nents. For replacement of the head-
light bulbs (low-beam and high-
beam), removal and installation of
the headlight assemblies, and re-
moval of headlight-assembly com-
ponents, contact your SUBARU
dealer.
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14-4
Index
Pets........................................................................\
. 7
Snowy and icy roads ............................................... 8-9
Tips....................................................................... 8-4
Tired or sleepy. .......................................................... 7
E
Electrical system ........................................................ 12-3
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ................................................. 3-17, 7-22
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) ............................. 1-17
Engine
Compartment overview ........................................... 11-6
Coolant ............................................................... 11-11
Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) ............................ 5, 8-2
Hood .................................................................... 11-4
Oil........................................................................\
11-7
Overheating .......................................................... 9-14
Starting .................................................................. 7-7
Stopping ................................................................ 7-8
Exterior care .............................................................. 10-2
F
Flat tires .................................................................... 9-6
Floor mat .................................................................. 6-12
Fluid level Automatic transmission ........................................ 11-15
Brake ................................................................. 11-20
Power steering .................................................... 11-19
Fog light switch .......................................................... 3-32
Folding mirror switch .................................................. 3-41 Front
Differential gear oil ................................................ 11-17
Fog light .............................................................. 11-45
Seatbelt pretensioners ........................................... 1-27
Seats ..................................................................... 1-2
Turn signal light .................................................... 11-45
Front seats Fore and aft adjustment ........................................... 1-3
Reclining ................................................................ 1-3
Fuel ........................................................................\
... 7-2
Economy hints ........................................................ 8-2
Filler lid and cap ...................................................... 7-3
Gauge .................................................................... 3-8
Requirements ......................................................... 7-2
Fuses ..................................................................... 11-38
Fuses and circuits ..................................................... 12-5
G
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) .............................. 8-12
Glove box ................................................................... 6-5
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) ... ....................... 8-12
H
Hazard warning flasher .......................................... 3-5, 9-2
Head restraint adjustment ............................................. 1-5
Rear .................................................................... 1-11
Headlight Beam leveler. ........................................................ 3-29
Flasher ................................................................. 3-27
Indicator light ........................................................ 3-21
Headlights ....................................................... 3-26, 11-42
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